Smart PCB effector

The Smart PCB effector is now available from the duet3d web shop, [www.duet3d.com]. It includes a strain gauge nozzle contact sensor (Z probe), connectors for the contact sensor/the/PT100 and for hot end heater/fan/lighting/print cooling fan, and LEDs to let you know what is going on. It's compatible with the E3DV6 hot end, magnetic rods and ball studs from Haydn Huntley, and linear rail sliders or wheeled carriages with 20x20mm fixing centres.

Yes! I've been waiting to see how this turned out. I don't yet see it on Filastruder for US distribution. Will Tim be getting any in for us yanks? On your sales site, I was going through the checkout process to see what a final cost as configured would look like. I'm getting a mandatory field to purchase an e3d v6, but I already own a few and don't intend on purchasing another... The text implies the base price includes a unique heatbreak but nothing else, which may not be correct. Did you intend to require the purchase of an e3d v6 with each order? If not, give us a "Heatsink only (included)" option in that drop down. Hope this helps!

A strain gauge isn't usually an IC, it's typically a metal foil mounted on a substrate. We have 3 ICs on the effector to manage it: a voltage regulator to provide a clean power source, an amplifier to increase the signal, and a microcontroller to process the data.

Quotedc42
A strain gauge isn't usually an IC, it's typically a metal foil mounted on a substrate. We have 3 ICs on the effector to manage it: a voltage regulator to provide a clean power source, an amplifier to increase the signal, and a microcontroller to process the data.

Can also say having had one on my delta for some time that it works extremely well and routinely calibrates to less than 7 microns. and I also know that I could spend a few hours on the printer improving the geometry but it would be hours and probably wouldn't get it much better than it is.

Mine is fitted with a Zesty Nimble RDD Extruder and total weight of the whole thing is around 155 grammes

QuoteQdeathstar
ah. I'm curious about it, where is it on the pcb? Could you take a pic

Picture of what exactly? if you mean the strain gauges then they are actually designed into the PCB Traces so not much to be seen on a photo (They can be seen as very fine traces in the copper by eye but they don't show up well on photos)

QuoteQdeathstar
ah. I'm curious about it, where is it on the pcb? Could you take a pic

Picture of what exactly? if you mean the strain gauges then they are actually designed into the PCB Traces so not much to be seen on a photo (They can be seen as very fine traces in the copper by eye but they don't show up well on photos)

QuoteQdeathstar
ah. I'm curious about it, where is it on the pcb? Could you take a pic

Picture of what exactly? if you mean the strain gauges then they are actually designed into the PCB Traces so not much to be seen on a photo (They can be seen as very fine traces in the copper by eye but they don't show up well on photos)

Oh, ok. I didn't know they were printed on, that's pretty neat... does it detect change in capacitance?

QuoteQdeathstar
ah. I'm curious about it, where is it on the pcb? Could you take a pic

Picture of what exactly? if you mean the strain gauges then they are actually designed into the PCB Traces so not much to be seen on a photo (They can be seen as very fine traces in the copper by eye but they don't show up well on photos)

Oh, ok. I didn't know they were printed on, that's pretty neat... does it detect change in capacitance?

There are 6 of them in total and they detect very minute flexing of the PCB when the nozzle touches the bed I am getting sub 7 micron deviation on a autocal usually it is more often around 3-5 microns.

They work extremely well. and they are well worth the cost of £45 plus carriage and tax's were applicable, especially when you consider that they include the custom E3D Heatsink assembly.

I'm looking at a version for a Diamond hot end (as you say, the main design issue is how to get enough reading from the strain gauge elements) and a version for a Cartesian/CoreXY printer to carry a modified Titan Aero. But they won't happen very soon.

I am finding the smart effector works very well with Traxxas arms, if you don't want to go for magnetic arms immediately. I put my attempt at mounting posts on thingiverse (2492092). Getting very flat mesh calibration and accurately sized prints. The probe works wonderfully well.

QuoteAdrianR52
I am finding the smart effector works very well with Traxxas arms, if you don't want to go for magnetic arms immediately. I put my attempt at mounting posts on thingiverse (2492092). Getting very flat mesh calibration and accurately sized prints. The probe works wonderfully well.

That's good news!
I had trouble with my Kossel XL because of the Traxxas with 6mm rods and the weight of the Diamond hotend. It worked well with a single direct drive extruder, tho...
Now I could fit the current smart effector version with a Volcano hotend and upgrade later with the Diamond version and Mag-Rods. ( hope the magnets are strong enough for the diamond? )

In another thread I mentioned powdermetals cycloidal direct drive extruder.
I'm wondering if it would fit on the PCB like that? The gearbox housing could be redesigned to replace the nut. But it would be even better to fit the heatsink above the PCB and clamp it down with the M6 nut off the heatbarrier.

QuoteQdeathstar
ah. I'm curious about it, where is it on the pcb? Could you take a pic

Picture of what exactly? if you mean the strain gauges then they are actually designed into the PCB Traces so not much to be seen on a photo (They can be seen as very fine traces in the copper by eye but they don't show up well on photos)

Oh, ok. I didn't know they were printed on, that's pretty neat... does it detect change in capacitance?

There are 6 of them in total and they detect very minute flexing of the PCB when the nozzle touches the bed I am getting sub 7 micron deviation on a autocal usually it is more often around 3-5 microns.

They work extremely well. and they are well worth the cost of £45 plus carriage and tax's were applicable, especially when you consider that they include the custom E3D Heatsink assembly.

QuoteQdeathstar
ah. I'm curious about it, where is it on the pcb? Could you take a pic

Picture of what exactly? if you mean the strain gauges then they are actually designed into the PCB Traces so not much to be seen on a photo (They can be seen as very fine traces in the copper by eye but they don't show up well on photos)

Oh, ok. I didn't know they were printed on, that's pretty neat... does it detect change in capacitance?

There are 6 of them in total and they detect very minute flexing of the PCB when the nozzle touches the bed I am getting sub 7 micron deviation on a autocal usually it is more often around 3-5 microns.

They work extremely well. and they are well worth the cost of £45 plus carriage and tax's were applicable, especially when you consider that they include the custom E3D Heatsink assembly.

Doug

How are they arranged ? 6 ? What bridge?

That I can't answer but the arrangement of them is 3 on each surface of the PCB at 120 Degrees apart and are actually part of the PCB Itself coupled with I believe a Rectifier/PSU chip and Amplifier and a CPU of some sort to actually hold the software that does the comparisons you would need to ask DC42 for the finer details or wait for the files to be released on Github if they haven't already

Quotedougal1957That I can't answer but the arrangement of them is 3 on each surface of the PCB at 120 Degrees apart and are actually part of the PCB Itself coupled with I believe a Rectifier/PSU chip and Amplifier and a CPU of some sort to actually hold the software that does the comparisons you would need to ask DC42 for the finer details or wait for the files to be released on Github if they haven't already

Hardware part of sources is already available: [github.com]
But I did not find part numbers of some components such as OP amp or LDO in SmartEffector_Schematic_v1.3.pdf file.